Mar 21, 2013 2 min read

A Washington man, already in the Washington County jail on other charges as well as bench warrants, has been charged with burglarizing a Canton Township home and trying to break into a North Strabane Township home.

Michael Rose, 40, is accused of burglarizing a home at 610 McKee Road, Canton, July 5. Five days later, he allegedly tried to break into a home at 982 Thomas-Eighty Four Road, North Strabane.

Donald Oatman told state police he was gone from his home on McKee when it was burglarized. He discovered a door had been kicked in. Stolen from the home were two piggy banks containing coins, a handgun and jewelry.

While he was on his way home, Oatman told police he had seen an older minivan stopped along Armstrong Drive and saw someone picking up change along the road. After discovering the burglary, he found a trail of loose change going through his yard and leading to where he had seen the van.

Another man told state police he saw a man he was able to later identify as Rose carrying a plastic bag. The bag broke and change spilled out of it.

Peter and Jessie Klepsic called North Strabane police July 10 after finding pry marks on a sliding glass door on Thomas-Eighty Four Road. They found a kitchen window pried open, but no sign of entry into their home.

Prints lifted were run through the Automated Fingerprint Identification System. Three different fingerprints were identified as being those of Rose.

Rose told police he didn’t enter the home because he couldn’t fit through the window and he was unable to open the door.

Rose was arraigned Thursday before District Judge Jay Weller in connection with the North Strabane robbery attempt. Weller set bond at $25,000. Rose will be arraigned before District Judge David Mark on the state police charges this morning.